When Portland experimental rock band Grails goes record hunting at Amoeba Hollywood, you can expect them to find some obscure records. "I picked this record out purely based on the cover," said Ilyas Ahmed while pulling out Nuits D'Été Avec Naima Samih by Moroccan organist Abdou El Omari. "When I find something like this it makes me really excited that I can go home and listen to it, and have to learn to live with it," he told us. "I think that's something with music that's kind of underappreciated these days," he continued, comparing the process of appreciating records to getting know friends. All of the guys picked up some interesting and esoteric records and shared their personal insight with us in our latest What's In My Bag? episode.

Originally named Laurel Canyon, Grails began playing shows together in 1999, self-releasing two EPs before signing to Neurot Recordings for the release of their debut full-length under the Grails moniker, 2003's The Burden of Hope. The core lineup of Alex John Hall, Emil Amos, and William Zakary Riles was refined over time, with previous members sometimes joining the trio for live performances and guest collaborators contributing to their recording sessions.

Alex John Hall started the episode with Narkopop by German electronic musician Gas. "It's a sound that other people have tried to copy," he said, "but the original is still the best." Emil Amos picked up the previously unavailable soundtrack to the 1987 film Surf Nazis Must Die, which he said "feels like the guy went inside the mind of the serial killer." Ilyas Ahmed was excited to find Mitteltönerby composer, musician, and sound artist K. Leimer. "I'm a huge fan," he told us, describing the music as "the mellow Cluster." Describing his next pick as a "one-tracker" or a "terrible record with one good track," Hall grabbed the soundtrack to the 1981 film starring Burt Reynolds, Sharky's Machine. Amos also picked up a few records for DJing, including Ras G and Madlib. "These are just reliable dudes," he said. "They're basically a DJ for you; you don't even have to do anything."

But which Fred Neil song does Emil Amos think was written on his dad's boat? And which record cover features an artist shredding in front of the pyramids? You'll have to watch the video below to find out!